One of my first jobs in high school was working at a small local Italian bakery. I'd stand behind rows and rows of beautiful cannoli, pignoli, and panna cotta. My boss would loudly greet her favorite customers with a big hug and free baci (little chocolate "kiss" cookies), touting the authenticity of her breads and pastries. But the treat that stuck around, nagging the back of my mind was always the beautiful, berry-filled ricotta muffins. They were dense, lightly sweet, and fragrant.

Since then, I've whipped them up a number of times - switching out the raspberries for blueberries, the lemon for orange, and every combination you could think of. The lemon raspberry ones are always the biggest hit, with loved ones and coworkers alike requesting a fresh plate of them to appear on the table for their enjoyment.

Since being introduced to Low FODMAP - the ricotta cheese got thrown out. Lactose galore! So when I started hearing inklings of a new dairy-free ricotta hitting the shelves of our local health food store, I squealed with excitement - the muffins shall be mine again!

Now, for those of us in the States, Kite Hill Foods make an awesome almond milk-based ricotta cheese that is also Low FODMAP. While it is untested, it is made from almond milk which has a safe serving of 1 cup (250ml) and has zero added high or moderate FODMAP ingredients. If you don't tolerate almond milk, or you don't have access to Kite Hill, I highly recommend trying out Jennifer from Fussy Fodmapper's Low FODMAP Ricotta Cheese Recipe made with lactose-free milk. She says to strain for less time if you need a looser ricotta, which is recommended for this recipe.

Start with the sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. With clean fingers, start to massage the zest into the sugar. Rub and mix until the entire bowl is fragrant with the lemon oil.

In another dish (I used a measuring cup), whisk together the ricotta, lemon juice, butter, vanilla extract, and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the lemon sugar - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt - and whisk it all together.

Pour the wet mixture into dry ingredients and begin to fold it in gently. This isn't about being thorough, it's about being gentle - the longer you mix it, the heavier your muffins will be. Lastly, fold in the raspberries. I like to break them up a little with my spatula so you get a beautiful pink swirl of raspberry magic in every bite.

Spoon the dough into the greased muffin tin and place it on a rack in the middle of the preheated oven.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean and the tops are golden brown and slightly risen.

Eat with friends within 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in the oven to desired temperature. Enjoy!

What's your favorite sweet treat and how do you adapt it for Low FODMAP?

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